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Grace Bible Church

Meet the GBC Leadership & Staff

Lamar Austin

Pastor/Elder

Bio
Barry Godwin

Associate Pastor/Elder

Bio
Randy Moncebaiz

Pastor of Counseling/Elder

Bio
Elders
Deacons
Staff/Other
Elders

Larry Johnson

Glenn Gowdy

Randy Moncebaiz

Lamar Austin

Barry Godwin

Elders

The duties of the Elders shall be to equip all believers in the assembly for proper function so that the whole flock may be built up toward Christ-likeness and unity (Eph. 4:11-16).          
They shall shepherd and manage the people by:

  • Meeting their spiritual needs

  • Making them feel secure and restful

  • Caring for their spiritual thirst

  • Building them up when they fail and are discouraged

  • Leading them into the will of God

  • Staying beside them in times of difficulty and danger

  • Lovingly disciplining them when they go astray

  • Providing spiritual food

  • Providing healing for their hurts and wounds 

Deacons

Lon Sessler

Deacon of Missions

Peter Johnson

Deacon of Awana

Alex Contreras

Deacon of Children’s Ministry

Deacons

The Elders shall be assisted by Deacons in the specific ministries of the church. These positions of service in the body are designed to relieve Elders from any duties that would interfere with their primary involvement in the Word and prayer. Every Deacon is to be involved in conducting a specific area of service in the church, under the direction of the Lord and the supervision of the Elders.

Staff/Other

Karen Moncebaiz

Treasurer

Candace Riner

Secretary

Holly Cassell

Nursery Director / Custodian

Clement J. Sabbath

Youth Intern

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Lamar Austin

Lamar Austin started attending Grace Bible Church in the summer before his senior year at Mena High School.  He was excited about the verse-by-verse preaching that Leonard Hale was using through the book of Philippians.  Lamar received a B. A. in Bible and Pastoral Studies from Citadel Bible College in 1981, an M.Div. from Capital Bible Seminary in 1983.  Later he received his Th. M. and D. Min from Capital Bible Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary respectively.

Lamar was the English-speaking pastor at Chinese Christian Church of Greater Washington D.C. from 1989-1996, served as Associate Pastor at (then) East Evangelical Free Church in Wichita, Kansas, then tried to plant an EFC church in Little Rock for two years before moving back to Mena.

Lamar served three years as Associate Pastor at Grace Bible Church before succeeding Bill Probasco and became the Senior Pastor in August, 2007.  He loves being the pastor of an "I Love You" church and enjoys studying and preaching God's Word. Lamar is an avid reader.

Barry Godwin

Barry Godwin is our Associate Pastor and an Elder here at Grace Bible Church. He and Pam celebrate 36 years of marriage and have four adult children and one grandchild.

After coming to know Christ in 1996, God changed his career path from agricultural business to pastoral ministry. This path led him to Mid-America Baptist Theological Seminary for five years where he received a Master of Divinity degree in theological and pastoral studies.

Barry experienced 13 years of serving as a full-time senior pastor before joining GBC. Every staff member at GBC wears multiple hats. The Associate Pastor role is no different. As an Elder, Barry is involved in the general oversight of the organizational structure of GBC along with several other Elders and Deacons. As a teacher, Barryserves in Sunday School, a Tuesday night men’s Bible study, other periodic adult and children’s classes, and preaches as needed. As a shepherd, Barry enjoys getting to know people and learning what God is doing in their lives as they grow spiritually.

A snapshot into Barry’s personal life will find him fellowshipping with family, laughing and making fond memories, and cooking for a small army. From weekend gatherings to week-long vacations at the beach, the blessings of God are too numerous to count

Randy Moncebaiz

Randy Moncebaiz is an ordained minister, holds a B.S. in Behavioral Science, is a certified Anger Management Therapist, and, from 1992 to 1996, was a licensed Social Worker Associate. He has been involved in various aspects of emotional and spiritual healing through pastoral counseling for the past 32 years, both for individuals in the church and the community at large.   

Beginning in the early 90’s, while in the Austin Texas area, Randy worked in the field of Child Abuse Prevention & Intervention, facilitating counseling in specialized groups, such as adult incest survivors, parents of abused children, and perpetrators of child sexual abuse. He also provided training to prospective volunteers for CASA, DHS, and the Children’s Advocacy Center. Concurrently, Randy had a part-time private counseling practice under the supervision of a Licensed Christian Therapist (LPC). 

Randy moved to Arkansas in 1996, at which time he became an investigator for the Arkansas State Police in the Crimes Against Children Division (CACD). Additionally, in partnership with Comprehensive Juvenile Services (CJS), he facilitated parenting classes.

In 2004, Randy moved back to the Hill Country area of central Texas, to care for his aging parents. During this time and for the next 17 years, he served as the Associate Pastor of Christ Redeemer Fellowship Church.

Randy and his wife, Karen, will be celebrating their 47th anniversary this year and are grateful to now be back in Mena, Arkansas. He currently serves as Pastor of Counseling at Grace Bible Church in Mena and is on the board of both Masterpiece Ministries and Comprehensive Juvenile Services. Randy continues to serve individuals, couples, and groups, and looks forward to providing care for those who need it most.